'The Real Housewives of New York City' star Kelly Bensimon arrested

By John Bracchitta, 03/10/2009

Kelly Killoren Bensimon already has a substantial resume of previous work. Now it appears she's building up her police records as well.

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The 40-year-old new The Real Housewives of New York City star was arrested last Thursday on misdemeanor assault charges for assaulting Nicholas Stefanov, her 30-year-old boyfriend, the New York Daily Newsreported Monday night.

Bensimon joined the cast of the Bravo reality series for its second season which premiered on February 17.

The alleged assault, which happened on March 3 according to the criminal complaint Stefanov filed along with the charges, occurred when Bensimon allegedly hit Stefanov "with a closed fist, thereby causing informant to suffer a laceration below informant's left eye and substantial pain," the Daily News reported.

After turning herself in, Bensimon was released on her own recognizance. Her lawyer Stephen Turano later denied that Stafanov's charges were true.

"The allegations are by a jilted lover saying she struck him during the course of an argument," Turano said, according to the Daily News. "We deny the charges, and we are hopeful this will be resolved."

While she doesn't seem to have been present for the incident, Bensimon's TheReal Housewives co-star Bethenny Frankel expressed skepticism at the allegations.

"I cannot imagine this being true, but all I can say is love shouldn't hurt," she said, according to the Daily News.

However, in an interview with the Daily News, Stefanov not only linked the Bensimon incident to an alleged engagement between the pair, but added that she had struck him before in the past.

"She is a great girl," he said. "I do want to work it out. But what are you supposed to do when a girl is hitting you, just sit there like a punching bag?"

Stefanov added that Bensimon had "sucker-punched" him during an argument, but said that she "had the courtesy to take her [engagement] ring off first," and returning it to him before the attack.

Turano refuted the claims that Bensimon and Stefanov were engaged.

"They are most certainly not engaged and his allegations of past abuse are false," he said, the Daily News reported.

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